From the Lebanese capital Beirut, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called for increased international support to address the humanitarian catastrophe sweeping Lebanon. He said that helping those affected by the escalation is an urgent moral matter.
High Commissioner Filippo Grandi is visiting Beirut to express his solidarity with Lebanon and to mobilize further support for all those affected, both Lebanese and refugees. During his visit, Grandi met with Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati and other senior officials, and met with the UN team, the humanitarian community, UNHCR staff and displaced families.
Grandi said: “today I have witnessed the tragic toll that this war is taking on entire communities . International humanitarian law must be respected and cannot be ignored. Families have been left homeless and stranded outdoors while traumatized children are unable to understand what is happening, ” he said.
The UN official added that the displaced people he met spoke to him about their urgent need to feel safe and stop the airstrikes so that they can return to their cities and villages. He stressed that helping those affected by this latest escalation is an urgent moral matter.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that government-run shelters have become extremely overcrowded with large numbers of people displaced inside the country in just two weeks. UNHCR is working with humanitarian partners and the authorities to urgently find safe shelter for all those in need.
UNHCR is also providing support, including basic relief items, cash assistance, shelter materials and medical care. She stressed the need for the international community to significantly increase funding so that humanitarian workers can respond appropriately.
Grande’s visit to Lebanon included a meeting with displaced Syrian refugees in the Nabaa neighborhood of Beirut. He expressed appreciation for Lebanon’s generosity in hosting many refugees over the years, including those who were forced to flee Syria, despite the great challenges he faced. He said that these refugees are now forced to flee again with scarce resources without a safe place to go.
